This review will be short, sweet, and to the point. Mass Effect, Bioware’s newest RPG outing on the Xbox 360, is an action based space opera story of epic proportions.

Humanity, new to the intergalactic political world, is fighting for acceptance and to gain political might within Citadel space, the area of the galaxy controlled by the a multi-specie governmental agency similar to Earth’s United Nations called the Citadel council, in any way they can. This is where the player’s character comes in, you are one of Humanity’s greatest heroes, having proven yourself on the battlefield, have been selected for an opportunity to join the elite SPECTRE’s, the Citadel’s “right hand,” a special group of agents that are not held to normal rules as they are given missions to complete by “any means necessary.”

Don’t make me shoot you!

The combat in Mass Effect is an action based affair. Similar to a 3rd person shooter, combat takes place in real-time with players needing to aim and fire at their prey. Player’s accuracy, skills, and power are attached to a weapon specific skill that you may give points to raise as you increase in levels.

The story within Mass Effect can be described in one word, epic. It is a space opera that spans millenia and involves the fates of all organic life forms in the galaxy. Player may shape the outcome of the story, depending on choices they make through their play. Mass Effect sports one of the more well written, mature stories to be released in recent gaming history. Mass Effect‘s story could easily stand on its on in other narrative mediums, be it literary or cinema. Once players begin Mass Effect, they are in for a roller coaster, so strap in and enjoy the ride.

Bottom line here is that players need to ask themselves a few questions to decide if they should pick up Mass Effect. Do you own an Xbox 360? Do you like good games? Do you want to play something that should go down in gaming history as a watershed moment? If you answered yes to the first question, then get the game. It may sound like hyperbole but Mass Effect is, by this reviewer’s surmise, the game of the year at the very least.